While the year mainly focused on the season-long arc of the cure, "Graduation" answered several lingering questions -- with one unexpected piece of information that may throw Mystic Falls on its head.

The reveal?

That the true identity of the powerful Silas, who has taken up different incarnations throughout the past few episodes, including Jeremy and Elena, was none other than Stefan (Paul Wesley)! Talk about a major game changer.

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THR rounds up the biggest questions answered by the finale and looks ahead to season five:

1. Who takes the cure?

Long answer: A crop of dead vampire hunters show up in Mystic Falls, and they have a mission, doing anything -- including killing -- to succeed: Get the one and only cure. In an act of kindness, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) gives Elena (Nina Dobrev) the cure as a graduation gift, but she doesn't take it (though Jeremy supports her decision either way). Damon's infected shoulder wound -- he was shot with a bullet laced with werewolf venom -- isn’t healing, and of course, only Klaus (busy in New Orleans) can save him. The idea of Damon taking the cure is introduced and yes (!), this will solve everything -- except the person it's supposed to help isn't cool with this plan. Instead, Damon lures Vaughn to "where he dumped Silas." (Not really.)

Of course, things aren't that simple. Right when it looks like those darn werewolf venom-laced bullets will kill Damon, his buddy Alaric (Matt Davis) saves the day, taking the cure away from Vaughn and demanding Damon take it so he can live. But ever the stubborn one (not to mention that he hates living as a human), Damon urges Alaric to bring it back to Elena, who then gives it to Stefan. But in a bit of trickery, we don't actually see the end of their exchange until the final minutes: Stefan ends up giving Elena the cure because it has always belonged to her. After an epic battle between Elena and her doppelganger, Katherine, in which it seems like Elena may fall at the hands of Katherine, Elena force-feeds Katherine the cure.

Short answer: Katherine

2. Is Bonnie really dead?

Sadly, yes. But because the veil is still down in Mystic Falls, the "dead" version of Bonnie (Kat Graham) -- she sacrificed herself at the end of last week's episode in an attempt to bring Jeremy back for good -- buys some time before the inevitable must happen. She goes through the motions as if she's still living, admitting even she wished she could stay in town, but the end of the finale forces the young witch to finally say goodbye to her friends (in her own way) for good. Her final moments are, fittingly, with Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen). And as she closes the veil back up, our favorites start to disappear, first Alaric (following a sweet moment between him and Damon after the latter "gets the girl"), then Lexi (Arielle Kebbel) …

3. Who comes back from the dead, for good?

After touching moments with Elena and Alaric, as well as Bonnie, it's Elena's kid brother, Jeremy, who comes back from the dead. (So Bonnie's spell was successful -- and she closed the veil.)

Forty minutes into the finale, Elena makes her true feelings known (without the help of the sire bond, thank god) -- and "Delena" fans, you have reason to celebrate. Though a wounded Damon isn't ideal for this particular declaration, Elena admits her love for the elder Salvatore, and they celebrate with a passionate kiss. This brings us to Stefan …

5. Does Stefan leave town?

Cue the double negative! "I’m not not happy for you either," Stefan says to Damon, after Elena picks his brother. So it's off to Portland … or another city far, far away from Mystic Falls, just like he said a few episodes ago. But that plan is nixed after Stefan finds out that, gasp!, he's Silas' true self and gets dumped into the river. Oh no ...

Not really, but it's his doing -- at least in part. Maybe being a new dad (see: The Originals) is softening him a little. "Tyler is now free to return to Mystic Falls. He's your first love. I intend to be your last .. however long it takes," Klaus (Joseph Morgan) says to Caroline (Candice Accola) in the middle of the football field. For Klaus, that's quite a romantic gesture. So will Tyler (Michael Trevino) be back in season five?

7. Are the dead gone for good?

Yes. Well, except for Jeremy. He's alive and well! But it won't be a surprise if there's a twist, as there always is.

8. Has Rebekah found true love?

Yes! The finale opens with Matt (Zach Roerig) standing on a live bomb, thanks to one of those notorious vampire hunters. Then Rebekah (Claire Holt) somehow finds herself on the bomb. In a daring move, Rebekah does something she's never done before: kiss Matt (this after proposing road trips and romantic weekends together)! After their momentous kiss, he finds himself off the bomb -- somehow. Nice move, Rebekah. "I can't be killed, and you can’t miss graduation!" Rebekah yells out. Later, it seems like Matt and Rebekah are going to go their separate ways, but Matt pulls a fast one on her: "Whatever happens on the road stays on the road …" Rebekah and Matt forever.

The noteworthy lines from the finale:

Stefan: "I should be upstairs grooming my hero hair."

Damon: "How is it even when you're dead you're the bane of my existence."

Elena: "Take off your shirt." Damon: "Elena there are children present!"

Elena: "You would rather die than be human, and you expect me to be OK with that?!"